St Eilian's Church

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: Listed grade I as an exceptionally fine, well preserved late medieval parish church, incorporating a highly unusual 12th century tower with pyramidal spire, and a rare survival of an originally detached chapel. The late medieval architectural character of the church survives virtually intact, and includes a particularly fine screen and rood loft. History: The earliest surviving fabric is the substantial west tower which is C12. The body of the church (nave and chancel) is however all of the late C15 (lombardic inscriptions with dates of 1480 and 1481 have been recorded on nave buttresses), though the chapel of St Eilian which lies to the SE is C14: the passage linking the chapel to the chancel is dated 1614. Any subsequent restoration work (for example repairs in 1873 and 1929) has not substantially altered the essentially late medieval character of the church. Remarkable post-reformation tradition, associated with St Eilian’s chapel, coffer and ‘box’ are described by Baring-Gould and Fisher. Exterior: The church comprises C12 W tower with pyramidal roof forming a short spire, late C15 nave with SW porch (thought to be an early C16 addition) and contemporary chancel; separate chapel offset to the SE, with a short enclosed passage linking it to the chancel. Masonry structure of tower and passage concealed by roughcast render; nave, chancel and chapel of rubble with buttered pointing and ashlar gritstone dressings. Massive W tower is square in plan, 3 stages with small louvred bell chamber lights, and highly unusual pyramidal stone spire, surmounted by weather cock. The nave is articulated by buttresses at the angles and defining the bays, each angled in its upper stage and capped at parapet level by crocketted finial. On each of the buttresses con

From Cadw under OGL v3.